Sought and Found
Psalm 23
1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall
not want.
2He makes me lie down in green
pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
3He restores my soul. He leads me
in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your
rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me in
the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Entire books have been written about these six short verses
of Scripture. The words are filled with depth of understanding and significant
meaning for our lives as God’s people. And who better to pen these phrases than
the king who spent the first years of his life shepherding his father’s sheep.
Before David became king, he knew one thing very well and that was how to care
for sheep. We don’t know exactly when David wrote these words. Perhaps it was
even as young shepherd that he saw the correlations between how he took are of
his father’s sheep and how God the Father cares for us. Or maybe he wrote them
later in life as he reflected back on what how the life of a shepherd mirrors
that of his relationship with God. We’ll have to ask him when we join him in
God’s presence.
When I was a child learning this psalm by memory (because we
did that back then) I remember being confused by the very first verse. I didn’t
know about semicolons then and so I would string that first verse all together.
Why wouldn’t I want the Lord? That was my question every time I heard the
Psalm. Fortunately, my father explained it to me one day and I was good to go
from then on. The beauty of this psalm lies in its simplicity. The phrases are
simple enough for the young child and deep enough for the spiritually mature.
In all likelihood, you too are able to recite some or all of it from memory. I
would recommend you do so often!
The themes in this psalm are repeated throughout the Old
Testament as the imagery plucked at the heartstrings of God’s people who were
intimately familiar with raising and tending sheep. The prophet Isaiah follows
this theme in several different passages, with Isaiah 40:11 being the
most oft quoted.
He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather
the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those
that are with young.
I’ve recently had the privilege of caring for my aging
parents, as they are increasingly unable to care for themselves. The work can
be frustrating and taxing, especially for someone for whom mercy is in short
supply. I will readily confess that I am not a strong caregiver and the last
few months have proven that point. But despite mom and dad’s continued efforts
to wander out from under my care, I am still compelled to go back after them
and see to their needs. It’s what you do, right? And they have expressed appreciation
for the fact that I’m willing to reach out to them and care for them. Most of
us are far removed from caring for something as needy as a sheep, but we all
know what the need feels like if we’re willing to be honest with ourselves. The
idea of leaving all our concerns in the hands of God is comforting, just as it
is supposed to be.
When my daughter, was very small we began singing
this old hymn to her every night before she went to bed that captures the ideas
found in this psalm. She now sings it to her daughter (and her daughter sings
it to her stuffed animals and baby sister!) Those enduring traditions are what
life is about sometimes. I’ve included the words for that hymn and a link to
hear it sung in a modern rendition below. No matter how old you are, this hymn
says it all, just like Psalm 23.
I Am Jesus' Little Lamb
I am Jesus' little lamb
Ever glad at heart I am
For my Shepherd gently guides me
Knows my need and well provides me
Loves me ev'ry day the same
Even calls me by my name
Day by day, at home, away
Jesus is my staff and stay
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me
Into pleasant pastures leads me
When I thirst, he bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow
Who so happy as I am
Even now the Shepherd's lamb
And when my short life is ended
By his angel host attended
He shall fold me to his breast
There within his arms to rest
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